You’re excited. You have finally decided that your funds are going to allow you and your family to take a trip somewhere. The destination has been decided and it seems like the perfect time to begin planning for the trip. One of the steps that needs to be taken when planning a trip is to book the hotel room at your desired destination. It makes sense to try to save money whenever possible because traveling can be quite expensive and who doesn’t want to save a few dollars that can be used for things that are more fun? This is where hotel price comparison websites can be valuable for you and save you a lot of time when it comes to planning your trip.

Benefits of Hotel Price Comparison Websites

Hotel price comparison websites are not difficult at all to use. All you need to do is to have a few pieces of information about your trip handy and you can get the rates for hotels all over. You will find rates for the big names as well as smaller hotels which you may or may not have ever heard about. Overall, the more results you have the better deal you will get because everything is analyzed and looked over instead of a few choice big names.

Information Needed to Get the Best Deal

First, you need to know the city that you are looking for when you want to choose your hotel. The location is the most important piece of information you need to have. If you get rates that don’t seem very appealing, especially when it comes to cities that are popular for tourism, you may want to try nearby cities if you don’t mind a small commute to your destination. This is a way you can potentially save a few hundred dollars over the course of your stay.

Next, the dates that you intend to check in and out will help to determine your rate. Many hotels give different rates depending on the days that you will be staying. The off season rates are generally cheaper and checking in during the week instead of during the weekends is another way to save some money if you are flexible when it comes to the dates of travel. The last piece of information that impacts the rate quote you are going to be given is the number of rooms you need and how many guests will be traveling. You may receive a discount for booking multiple rooms at some of the hotels that are searched.

Features of Hotel Price Comparison Websites

When choosing which hotel price comparison website to use you may want to ensure that there are a few different ways to search. Flexibility here can make finding the perfect hotel that much easier. Some websites allow you to search by city only while you may also want to find rates for a specific hotel or chain of hotels. The option to be able to do this on a site is very valuable because it fits to the needs of the consumer.

With a travel and tourism degree, there are many different career paths you can take. Each travel and tourism course you take will help in your goal of becoming a travel agent, hotel manager, cruise ship event director, tour planner or other hospitality-related specialist. The following are considered to be the top 10 travel and tourism programs at colleges and universities in the United States:

Johnson and Wales University: You can complete one of many four-year travel and tourism programs at campuses in Colorado, Florida, North Carolina or Rhode Island.

University of Central Florida: Complete a certificate, a bachelor’s or master’s degree in hospitality management, and while you’re at it complete an internship at one of the many local theme parks, resorts or hotels.

University of Hawaii at Manoa: This island university offers a well-respected travel and tourism degree in four specializations. You will also be able to network and make connections with leaders in the travel and hospitality industry.

Brigham Young University, Hawaii: BYU’s Hawaii campus ranks #4 in U.S. News’ list of comprehensive colleges for bachelor’s degrees, and it’s in the perfect location for internships and networking.

University of New Hampshire: With a rich history, prime east coast location, small student body size and high educational standards, you’ll be able to start your career path straight out of college.

San Diego State University: This CSU campus with a freshmen retention rate of 81 percent is located in a popular U.S. travel destination with many hotels, resorts, travel agencies and cruise ship companies.

University of Phoenix: This is one of the top online universities in the nation with numerous degree options including a BS in Business/Hospitality.

Penn Foster Career School: If you’re looking to start working as a travel and tourism specialist or hotel/restaurant manager, a career diploma from this school will put you on the right path.

Walden University: This online university offers a BS in Business Admin-Management, MS in Leadership-General Management and Ph.D. in Mgmt that are ideal for the travel and tourism industry.

American InterContinental University: With a Bachelor of Business Administration in Operations Management or MBA from this career-focused university, you’ll be well on your way to the job of your dreams.